The Twins who Lived: First Years!
by x.Meep.x
Summary: Harry and Faye Potter, the twins who lived are now attending their first year at Hogwarts, what mischeif and secrets will they discover? And what about Faye, the usually nervous girl that can loose her temper ridiculously easy? How will she cope with coming out of her shell and falling for a certain Weasley? Not to mention her bad attitude when it comes to some students and staff?
1. The twins who lived

**Author's Note: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. I do however, own Faye, Beauty and this story-line adaptation. If you wish to share this story, then you should either ask, pm me or note that this story is by me.**

_**This is the re-written version of my previous story; The Twins Who Lived and The Philosopher's Stone.**_

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_**Chapter One: The Twins Who Lived.**_

"Harry Potter, the boy who lived. My baby brother." Faye sighed quietly looking at the piece of paper, she glanced up at her small bedroom window before throwing herself out of the bed and opening her bedroom door quietly and led herself down the hallway and to the living room. Once there, she glanced at the piece of paper again before setting it down on the table and beginning to busy herself with making breakfast for her caring. She had a different one each year, this year it just so happened to be Professor McGonagall, one of the Professor's at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Faye gave a small smile, it was only a couple of weeks ago that she discovered who she really was, which in all honesty gave a great load of answers as to why she was so strange. When she was a baby, only a year old, Lord Voldemort had tried to kill her whole family, her dad had died along with her mum, leaving herself and her brother Harry to be killed, but when he had tried, something had gone wrong, it hadn't worked the way it was meant to and the curse he'd used rebounded upon him, killing him or so people say. Privately, Faye never truly believed that, she believed he was still out there, she had nightmares, visions of his face and it's horrific words that never leave her mind ... "I will return"

"Good Morning dear." came the yawning voice of Professor McGonagall snapping Faye out of the horrible memories of her nightmares. She jumped in shock and whirled around holding her chest with the one hand that had a knife in it and in the other the apple she'd been about to slice.  
"Morning Professor, sorry I didn't hear you." Faye spoke looking away guiltily, she had been planning on making breakfast in bed for Professor McGonagall as a thank you for taking her out of the Orphanage.  
Professor McGonagall chuckled, she'd become so used to Faye's desire to do well and show her appreciation in as subtle a way as possible by now.  
"You do know you can call me Minerva dear. It won't hurt, Professor Dumbledore did entitle me as your guardian for the year after all."

She gave a kind smile and gave the girl a quick little pat on the head before leaning past her to set a small pan of soup to cooking. She smiled kindly at Faye when she pulled back and motioned for her to go sit down. As usual though, Faye refused, if there was one thing she loved to do it was to cook and her specialty was cakes which Professor McGonagall was guessing she was planning on making.

"Don't fret, you'll be meeting Harry soon dear, I've arrange for you to catch the Hogwarts Express and it should be easy for you to recognize him having looked at the photograph so much." McGonagall's voice was soft and much like that which you would use when talking to a child you're fond of.

Faye gave a soft smile and picked the piece of paper with the photo of her twin; Harry, up off of the side. She stroked the picture fondly and felt a tiny tear prickling at my eye, it fell and hit the piece of paper, right at the corner, just missing Harry. A tiny smile played across her lips.

She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a wad of folded up papers, letters actually. When she'd found out she had a twin, nervous as she was she realized she had someone to talk to at long last and so when Hagrid had gone to retrieve him, she'd gone with him and met Harry. They'd since then, kept in touch over letters. Of course it was a bit awkward at first but now that was gone, Faye's memory of Harry's appearance would have been disastrously bad If it had not been for the photo she got of Harry before they left. For she'd only just came out of having a high fever before going to meet him.  
"I can't wait to see you again Harry." her voice was a soft and gentle whisper.

** Kings Cross Station - Platform 9 and 3/4 **

Faye stood staring in awe at the Hogwarts Express. It was a gorgeous black steam train. She smiled softly and boarded onto it, putting all of her luggage she had with her, which was a grand total of backpack and a slender black racer snake coiled happily around her upper arm, it's head resting on her shoulder. She smiled softly when it gave a little hiss at being jostled around  
"There, there, it's alright Beauty, I'm sorry I woke you. Go back to sleep sweet."

Quickly she walked back off of the train and popped out onto the platform, she glanced around, it was hard now to see as everyone seemed to have suddenly began arriving. However, she still managed to spot Professor McGonagall and ran over to give her a hug before she left. The Professor was hidden among the darkness of shadows waiting with a small smile gracing her lips, Faye practically tackled her into a hug. It was true she was still nervous and shy around the Professor but she felt more at ease with her than she had ever done with any of the other people who had cared for her.

"There, there my dear, you will see me soon enough. Now why don't you go get onto the train before it's too late."  
"Okay. Bye Minerva." she gave one quick last hug before running up onto the train and waving goodbye quickly. Turning she set off in search of a compartment.

Faye could have died trying to find a compartment. She passed a boy who had lost his toad, or so he and his Grandmother had though, however Beauty began softly hissing and Faye following the direction of her eyes spotted the toad. Quietly she walked over and scooped him up before walking over to the boy and gently tapping his shoulder to hand him the toad. She walked off before anyone could say anything.  
Next she passed a small crowd where a boy stood holding a cage that without a doubt held inside of it a spider. Normally it wouldn't have bothered her until she got pushed into the crowd by some dumb blonde kid and the spider ended up touching her scar, she shrieked and pulled away nearly falling over. A ginger haired twin easily caught her whilst the other snapped at the boy for having been so spiteful.  
Before she could make a hasty exit however, the twin who had caught her noticed something he probably shouldn't have which resulted in Faye feeling nervous and becoming a unsettled.

"Wow."  
"You're not are you?"  
"Not what?" Faye spoke quietly.  
By this point the other twin had come over and everyone was watching, Beauty began to get agitated.  
"Bloody hell, she is George!"  
"You sure Fred?"  
"Yeah, you are, aren't you!"  
"What?"  
"Faye Potter!"  
"Oh ...er... well ... yes."  
Beauty decided then to snap. She shot out and attempted, failing badly, to bite the Fred twin's hand, instead she ended up gumming it but the message was given and Faye managed to escape with Beauty coiled protectively around her neck. As she ran off she heard the Fred twin calming people down saying he hadn't been hurt and then the group beginning to talk excitedly about her.

Eventually she managed to reach a practically empty compartment, it was actually the one she'd originally gone to and much to her surprise Harry was seated there trying to hide in the shadows. He looked up when she opened the door and they stayed frozen for a minute before she dived into his arms for a safe and secure hug. He smiled and held her close.

"How was the rest of your holidays?"  
"Pretty good, Professor McGonagall showed me some basic spells and stuff. How did the Dursley's react to having you return?"  
"They were alright actually. Not too bad, I don't think Dudley was too happy, he was freaking at every noise I made thinking Beauty was going to spring out of nowhere and attack him again."  
Harry and Faye laughed lightly remembering their first meeting. Dudley had not only gained a pigs tail but Beauty had snapped at him when he'd ran past her, it had been quiet funny.

"That's good then, at least he didn't cause any trouble."  
Harry gave a small smile and cuddled Faye again, Beauty uncoiled from her neck and slithered quite happily down and onto Harry's lap having decided he was comfy.  
"Did you get to the platform alright?" he asked, suddenly sounding worried, remembering his own problem.  
Faye smiled softly.  
"Yes, Professor McGonagall showed me how to get here and waited for me to say goodbye once everything was on here."

Faye gave a light shudder.

"I got pushed into a spider's cage by some kid and a group of people recognized me, there were two ginger twins, Fred and George I think."  
"I met them too I think. Tall, thin, ginger hair, talk together a lot?" Faye nodded.  
"They might have been the ones that helped me through the barrier and to get all of my things onto the train then."

Just then the compartment door slid open. In came a young boy, about Faye and Harry's age with ginger hair, a flash of recognition came through Harry's eyes, it was the boy who helped him through the barrier.  
"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite the twins, they shook their heads, he gave a small smile and sat down "Everywhere else is full." He said as an explanation when sitting down, looking at the twins and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked.

Faye found it quite amusing and was trying not to giggle, she knew it wasn't that funny but she put it down to nerves, she hadn't been around so many people in quite a while!  
Harry saw he had a black mark on his nose and nudged Faye ever so slightly, she glanced quickly and noted it. Before they could say anything however, the doors slid open again to reveal the two people that Faye most definitely did not want to see.

"Hey, Ron." The twins were back.  
"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."  
Faye gave a little shudder remembering the creature and how it felt when it had touched her.  
"Right," mumbled Ron.  
She felt a little better noticing how unhappy he seemed over the prospect of the hideous creature, seemed she wasn't the only one who disliked them.  
"Hey! Look it's Harry and Faye," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother."

They gave a small smile and the twin that Faye recognized as George suddenly entered the compartment and crossed to her, he smoothed down a flick of her hair that had been poking up. From Harry's lap she heard Beauty let out a warning hiss after having sensed the discomfort of Faye.  
Fred, the twin that Beauty had gummed glanced over and let out a little smirk.

"Why hello there grumpy bump."  
He glanced at Faye seeing her worm her way closer to Harry who comfortingly stroked her hand.  
"Your snake, he looks lovely but could you tell him I don't like having a load of snake slobber on me and to just hiss next time? Tar!"  
"Beauty is a she." was Faye's meak reply.  
Both twins gave a small smirk and George patted her on the head fondly before crossing to Fred. Fred spoke next with a cheery wave and a happy "See you later, then."  
"Bye, " said Harry and Ron whilst Beauty hissed before settling back down, all that Faye managed was a small wave a tiny stutter that nobody heard, well nobody other than George who gave a kind smile. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.

"Are you really Harry and Faye, like the Potters Harry and Faye?" Ron blurted out before he could stop himself. Harry nodded and an awkward silence began for a few moments.  
"Oh -well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes" said Ron. "And have you really got -you know... "

He pointed at Harry's forehead and just pointed at Faye, not much was known about the placing of Faye's scar. Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar whilst Faye moved her hair to the side and titled her neck blushing furiously and refusing to meet the eyes of anyone. Ron stared. Faye let her hair go and buried her head into Harry's shoulder, he comfortingly patted her shoulder.  
"So that's where You-Know-Who"  
"Yes" Harry interrupted him from carrying on, "but I can't remember it."  
"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.  
"Well - I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."  
"I remember his face and words." Faye said quietly for it was true, every night in her dreams. Every night. She shuddered.  
"Wow, " said Ron. He sat and stared at them for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.

An awkward silence followed yet again. Harry this time decided to break it.

"Are all your family wizards?"  
"Er - Yes, I think so, " said Ron. Then he paused and spoke again "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."  
"So you know magic already."

Faye asked having perked up and looking excited, Harry and Ron looked at her, amazed she had spoke so strongly but ever since she'd asked McGonagall about Wizarding Families she'd been so interested in meeting a nice one she couldn't help it.  
Ron shrugged his shoulders and gave Faye a small smile, she amazingly returned it.

"I heard you went to live with Muggles, " said Ron. "What are they like?"  
"Horrible" came the answer in unison from Faye and Harry who looked at each other and then rephrased it. "-well, not all of them are, just the people Faye has lived with and my aunt, uncle and cousin." Faye nodded and then spoke giving a shy smile.  
"Wish I'd had at least the chance to live in a Wizarding family, you three seem really interesting!" clearly indicating Ron, Fred and George. Ron gave a small smile and laugh which Faye reciprocated having become comfortable quite quickly around him.

"I've got five older brothers actually" said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy.  
"And I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left - Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny."  
"That's really a lot then."  
Ron nodded gloomily and then gave a little start for Beauty had slithered over onto his lap.  
"She won't hurt you. Beauty only does it to comfort or to people she likes."  
"Oh, uh okay. Hi Beauty?"  
Beauty gave a happy contented hiss and settle with her head on his knee, before falling asleep. Faye gave a small smile and then she rested her head on Harry's shoulder before having totally fallen asleep in a matter of minutes.

** Much later on! **

Faye awoke to a chocolate frog jumping onto her face and the moody hiss of Beauty, Faye opened and eye and found she was laying with her head in Harry's lap and opposite her Beauty was glaring at a fat rat that had it's head stuck in a sweet box. Sitting up, Faye recognized most of what was there from the many different types of sweets that Professor McGonagall had been giving her during her stay there.

"Beauty, stop hissing at the rat." Yawned Faye as she sat up, Beauty shot her an irritable glare which she returned.  
"Oh don't be so dramatic you darn serpent, I could have always left you back at the orphanage garden!" Beauty seemed to consider what was said and slithered over to Faye before coiling around her arm and resting.  
"Uh, that's my rat. He's called Scabbers." said Ron whilst Harry chuckled.  
"Huh? O-oh, sorry." Faye said giving a small smile, her nervousness having returned.  
"You can be really shy, did you know that?"  
"Uh yeah. Sorry."  
"Don't be!"  
"E-erm okay. I'll try not to be." Faye gave a weak smile to which Ron gave a huge beam back.

There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Harry and Faye had passed on the platform came in. He looked tearful and upon spotting and obviously recognizing Faye he turned to her.  
"Sorry, " he said, "but you haven't seen my toad again have you?"  
"I'm sorry but no."  
"I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"  
"He'll turn up, " said Harry and the boy turned to face Harry and Ron, as if only noticing they were they, he looked quite abash.  
"Yeah I guess" he looked quite miserable but with that he left.

"Don't know why he's so bothered" said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk." The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.  
"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference, " said Ron in disgust.  
"I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look... "  
He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end. Faye raised an eyebrow which Ron spotted and smiled sheepishly at.  
"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway"  
He was just about to raise his wand when the compartment door slid open again to reveal the toadless boy and a bushy haired girl who was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one" she said. She had a bossy sort of voice which made Faye feel a bit put off.  
"No sorry." Faye said and at the same time Ron spoke.  
"We've already told him we haven't seen it, " said Ron, but the girl was now longer listening having spotted his wand, a dubious look on her face.  
"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then." She sat down and Ron suddenly looked taken aback. He cleared his throat and glanced at Faye and Harry obviously not too keen on having an audience.  
"Er - all right. Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."  
He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed fat, gray, stupid and still fast asleep.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me."  
Faye glared at the girl taking a dislike to her attitude, it seemed she wasn't the only one because Beauty began to hiss. The girl gulped and shifted back in her seat a bit.  
"So? I've done spells and they've worked for me too. It doesn't mean anything!"  
Faye snapped and then noticing the looks of surprise everyone gave her she went very quiet and hid her head into Harry's arm again having realized she'd lost her temper slightly. He chuckled and Ron smirked glancing at the girl waiting for her to speak.

Thankfully she didn't say anymore on the magic front and instead introduced herself in a rather weak voice.  
"I'm Hermione Granger. And, uh.. you are?"  
Harry looked at Ron. He looked at Harry and then at Faye who was still hiding, grumbling he replied rather unhappily.  
"I'm Ron Weasley"  
"Harry Potter, and this is my sister Faye and her snake Beauty" said Harry motioning to himself, Faye and Beauty in turn.  
"Are you really?" said Hermione, who it seemed had her rather bossy attitude back.  
"I know all about you two, of course you're in Modern Magical History, The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and a few others too!"  
"Really? They weren't on the list." Muttered Faye quietly who had reappeared. Hermoine gave her a small smile.  
"I'm from a muggle background." was her answer, as if it explained everything.  
"Are we really?" said Harry, feeling dazed which caused Faye to look at him with a rather unimpressed expression.  
"Goodness, didn't you two know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me, " said Hermione and upon catching sight of Faye's look she quickly changed the subject.

"Do any of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I heard that Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad." She got up and then just as she was about to leave, she turned and spoke quickly "You three had better change you know as I expect we'll be there soon." Then the compartment door slid shut and Faye scowled.

"Thank god she's gone. I hope I don't get put with her Beauty, but if we do, you'll protect me right?" Said Faye a little too loudly and Beauty in response flung herself into Ron's lap to hide.  
Ron burst out laughing at her and the insulted look that now sat on Faye's face, even Harry couldn't help laughing and soon Faye joined in too. After a while, she calmed down enough to speak.

"What house are your brothers in?" she asked looking at Ron.  
"Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."  
"Slytherin? I've heard about that, but I can't remember what." Faye said thoughtfully.  
"That's the house Vol- .. I mean, You-Know-Who was in wasn't it?" asked Harry  
"Yeah, " said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.  
"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off houses.  
"So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?"Harry was wondering what a wizard did once he'd finished school.  
"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts, " said Ron.  
"Gringotts, that's the wizarding bank right?" Faye glanced at Ron for confirmation and he nodded causing her to smile quite broadly.

"Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles -someone tried to rob a high security vault."  
Harry stared. "Really? What happened to them?"  
"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."

Faye turned this news over in her mind. Harry was doing the same. They were starting to get a prickle of fear every time You-Know-Who was mentioned. They supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldemort" without worrying.

"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.  
"Er - I don't know any, " Harry confessed.  
"I don't have one yet." Was Faye's embarrassed reply.  
"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world - - " And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to have if he ever got the money. Ron then moved onto telling Harry about the finer points of Quidditch when yet again the door opened, before anyone was able to talk this time however, Faye snapped.

"Oh for goodness sakes! Does nobody know how to learn keep the bloody door shut and leave us the hell a bloody lone!" Faye shouted harshly at the three boys who had just walked into the compartment, they froze. Suddenly she recognized the one, the palest of the three not only as the boy from Diagon Alley but also as the one who had pushed her earlier, Beauty hissed and got ready to strike from Ron's lap.  
The boy gave a cocky smile and ignored the outburst and angry snake, instead choosing to look at Harry and Faye with more interest than he had ever shown before, or rather particularly more interest in Harry.

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry and Faye Potter are in this compartment. So it's you two, is it?"  
"Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.  
"Oh scram off!" Faye snapped as she noted how the other two boys seemed quite intent upon staring at her in a way which creeped her out.  
"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where the twins were looking.  
"And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."  
Faye nudged Harry and whispered "Bond, James Bond." which in turn caused Harry to smirk and Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger at the way that she'd said it. Draco Malfoy looked at him.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."  
"Pirck! Don't you talk to Ron like that you thick pale faced shit!"  
Faye stood up and got right into Malfoy's face all worries and shyness forgotten. Harry froze wide-eyed, he'd seen her do that to his Uncle when he'd first met her and they'd called Harry a freak. It was scary. He reached out and went to grab hold of Faye's hand.  
Half turning, she pulled away.  
"Harry, Ron, I'm going for a walk, Beauty cm'ere girl." She reached her arm out and Beauty coiled herself around it, without a second glance at her brother or new friend Faye barged out of the room making sure to slam into Malfoy and the other two dunces as she went.  
Angrily marching down the train past all of the compartments, Faye kept muttering little reassurances to herself about how Harry and Ron would be fine and how it was better she left them.

If she'd had stayed, Faye had a bad feeling her temper would have gotten the better of her, when she was nervous she was always quick to snap and for a long time now, she'd had a bad habit of snapping and then having something she couldn't explain happen, she now knew it to be magic.  
Due to the lack of attention on where she was going, Faye suddenly shrieked when she walked into a solid chest, upon closer inspection it was George Weasley, Fred was behind him and behind the pair t brother Percy. She dimly had registered Ron and Harry talking whilst she'd been asleep.  
"What's happened now" came the irritable voice of Percy but George interrupted him quickly.  
"Ah! Here she is Fred, sorry Perc, we hadn't wanted to say with a load of people around but we'd been looking for Faye here, she wandered off looking for Harry and Ron and we weren't sure if she'd gotten there safely. We'll be back into the compartment now!" then suddenly Faye was being dragged by the twins into one of the compartments.

"Sup?" came the voice of that boy from earlier. She looked at him, spotted the cage and realized it must be Lee. She immediately went quiet.  
"Perc caught us and we spotted Faye so we made a quick get away."  
Fred explained, Lee gave a friendly smile and much to everyone's surprise Faye hid behind George holding his hand in a death grip.  
"Hey, Lee won't hurt. Now why were you walking the train?" George turned to face Faye with a kind smile, she whimpered and felt tears stinging her eyes.  
"Malfoy came to the compartment" Faye felt tears starting to prick down her face and George pulled her soundlessly into a hug obviously thinking of the worst and not realizing it wasn't that bad. Fred lent over to Lee and whispered something before leaving the compartment, a couple of minutes later he returned.

"Hey, Faye, did Malfoy do anything to you?"  
"No but he did go to insult your family and I snapped."  
George pulled Faye up onto his lap and sat down properly on the seat holding her in a tight hug.  
Lee gave a kind smile and reached up, pulling down a backpack and mooching through it for a couple of minutes before pulling out a bar of chocolate. "Here, give her some of this George." Lee passed George the chocolate and gave Faye another little smile before putting his bag away.  
"Faye have some, Lee always gets the best chocolate there is. It'll help cheer you up a bit and then I can take you back and make sure that Malfoy has got lost first." Faye gave a little nod and carefully took a piece of the chocolate and began to nibble on it.

Fred sat down next to her and smiled.  
"Hey Faye, why do you have lots of scars on your arms, can I ask? You don't have to tell me or anyone, I'm just curious." he motioned to her arms where the long loose sleeves of her top had fallen down to reveal the scars from when she used to self harm.  
"Muggles. They always gave me the worst families." more tears fell down.  
George, Fred and Lee all enveloped her in a soundless hug and then Lee spoke softly.  
"Well, on the bright side, you have Harry now and these pair told me you seemed really attached so I guess that's good right? And you're going to Hogwarts too. Plus there's the beautiful snake I'm told is called Beauty, she's really pretty too."

Faye gave a small smile and cuddled into George a bit, in a matter of seconds she had fallen asleep yet again. The boys in the compartment looked sadly at the girl.  
"Who could hurt her or let her hurt herself?" Fred gazed sadly at the girl laying in his brother's arms.  
"She looks so defenseless all the time, but there's that spark in her that just drives you insane tryin ta figure it out." Lee smiled and stroked her cheek.  
"I know this is stupid but I want to protect her from everything that could go wrong. She just looks so ... pure?"  
Fred and Lee looked at George in silence before nodding, they understood what he meant,  
"I'm going to take her back to Harry and Ron." with that he got up and left.

Faye woke up when George got near to her compartment. She looked up at him apologetically and then cuddled into his arms, he smiled despite himself and stopped just before getting to her compartment for before him he saw Malfoy and his two goonies running past some girl with bushy brown hair and straight towards them. The boys veered around them and George stuck his foot out catching Malfoy who tripped, shot a dirty look and then carried on.  
"I hate the Malfoys sorry."  
"Don't be. I hate him too." Faye gave a small smile which George returned. He smiled softly as he put her down and carefully he took her hand and led her to her compartment.

He's holding my hand. Why? People other than Harry, Hagrid, Ron and Professor McGonagall have never shown me such kindness. Faye's thoughts confused her and soon enough she was stood outside of her compartment behind Hermoine. George still holding her hand, he gave a kind smile to her once Harry and Ron had spotted her, a quick hug was given and then he walked off with a short wave.  
Faye fought back the urge to blush and instead squeezed past Hermoine who made some room having also noticed her and she sat down next to Harry who cuddled her giving a small smile which she returned.

Taking in the mess of sweet wrappers and everything around in the compartment, Hermoine spoke. "What has been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.  
"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry clearly ignoring Hermoine as best he could whilst inspecting Scabbers. "No - I don't believe it - he's gone back to sleep-"  
Faye glanced over and shook her head lightly, that rat must be super-rat or something!  
"You've met Malfoy before?"  
Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley whilst Faye scowled darkly and Beauty continually hissed and coiled herself around thin air as if imagining strangling him.  
"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"

She seemed to think about something for a moment before sighing.  
"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"  
"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"  
"All right - I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"

Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down and as they began to get ready to change, Faye got up and walked out the compartment leaving an angry Beauty with them.  
He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his sneakers underneath them. Once changed both boys left the compartment and as Faye slipped in she pulled a blind over the window so she could change. Her outfit consisted of a knee length black skirt, white blouse, black tie, black robes and instead of normal shoes she kept on her black and white knee high converse. Beauty coiled herself around her neck and she was done.

Just as she opened the door, a voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron looked pale under his freckles, Faye surprisingly, shook with excitement, the boys laughed at her. The three of them crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.  
The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform.  
Faye shivered in the cold night air, Ron and Harry wrapped their arms around her making her giggle.

Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and the twins heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry an' lil' Faye?"  
Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.  
"C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"  
Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there.

Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.  
"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."  
There was a loud "Oooooh!"  
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.  
"No more'n five to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry, Faye and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione. Faye didn't mind Neville but when Hermoine got in, both the boys were trying not to laugh at the pissed off look on her face.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!"  
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.  
"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and  
pebbles.  
"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.  
"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow  
of the castle.  
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak front door.  
"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"  
Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

* * *

**Right well this is where the edited first chapter ends, those who have read my previous story may note that not too much has changed but as I go along in the chapters you will find that they'll be changing more. I would also like to point out that Faye has an issue where she'll be quite nervous and speak quietly one minute but in the next can loose her temper stupidly easily, she'll get better over the next chapter or so and there will be ROMANCE A BLOOMIN'! (") **

**R&R please!**


	2. The sorting hat

**Author's Note: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. I do however, own Faye, Beauty and this story-line adaptation. If you wish to share this story, then you should either ask, pm me or note that this story is by me.**

_**This is the re-written version of my previous story; The Twins Who Lived and The Philosopher's Stone.**_

* * *

_**Chapter Two: The Sorting Hat.**_

When the door swung open, most the students took a small step back from the suddenness and Faye was very happy to note that Malfoy was one of those people. Glancing up at the doorway, Faye forgot herself because up there was Professor McGonagall in a pair of lovely emerald-green robes, a stern look on her face until she heard Faye, then it became a rather happy one as she enveloped her in a hug because you see the moment Faye had noticed her she'd called out 'Professor!' and dived into her arms.

"Hello dear, now back into line with the rest of the first years."  
"Oh! Of course, sorry!" Faye remembering where she was darted back over to Harry as Professor McGonagall thanked Hagrid for bringing the first years and a stern look came back across her face.

Pulling the door open, most of the students gasped which included Harry and Faye, even though Faye had been told of all the grandeur to expect it was still a lot! The entrance hall was big enough to fit a house, stone walls were lit with torches and the ceiling was so high up you couldn't make it out! Magnificent marble staircases lead to the upper floors and if Faye remembered correctly, the staircases which were forever changing and would have vanishing steps.  
Faye felt a tug on her arm and glancing at Harry and Ron, she realized they were meant to be moving, getting into motion she began to walk with them and attempted to ignore the drones of what seemed at least a couple of hundred voice coming from a doorway to the right. For a moment, Faye wondered if they'd be going into there but no, they were took into a small chamber just away from the hall and when all in there, it was quite crowded and it wasn't helping to calm anybodies nerves!

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and immediately, everyone's attention was upon her. She attempted a calming smile but gave up when she saw it wasn't being very useful for any of the frightened first years, well, expect maybe Faye who had calmed down almost immediately.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room."  
She paused and looked about before continuing.  
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours."  
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair whilst Faye gulped and played with the tip of Beauty's tail feeling Professor McGonagall's eyes upon her shoes, over the summer they'd come to the conclusion that trying to tell Faye what shoes she couldn't wear, generally didn't work out that well. All around her, Faye could feel people shifting uncomfortably, girl beginning to fuss over their hair and boys just trying to act like it didn't bother them when in all actuality everyone was scared.  
People watched as Professor McGonagall assessed them with a critical eye before telling them to wait and sweeping off into the Great Hall. The moment she was gone, everyone began talking all at once, each as scared as the next, all on the same subject; how did they get sorted!

Faye tried not to laugh as she heard some of the suggestions; fighting a troll (Ron, from what Fred had told him), a test of logic, an actual test, the Head of each house would pick you out of a line, you had to show the amount of magic you knew, some magic assessment to see your magical core, a seer, a magical tablet which would say. They then began to get more and more wild, glancing at Harry and Ron, Faye could see them paling and deciding to put their minds at ease she spoke quietly to them.

"Hey, Professor McGonagall told me that the sorting is easy, pain free and you don't actually do anything. It's also nothing to worry about, she said."  
"And just how do you know the Professor!?" snapped Ron before giving an apologetic look at the sudden hurt that flashed across Faye's face, he was just frightened and didn't mean it, she knew that.  
"I spent my summer with her, I've been told I'll stay with a member of Hogwarts Staff for each summer more than likely, unless Harry's Aunt and Uncle would allow me to stay with them which we all doubt."  
"Sorry."  
"Don't worry about it."

Just as Faye was about to speak, a loud noise behind them made Harry jump about a foot in the air along with a few others, though actually, it may have been the volume of the shriek emitted by Faye who actually managed to break somebody's glasses.  
"What the-?"  
People around them paled and Faye and Harry gulped whilst Ron took a nervous step back.

About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying:  
"Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"  
"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?"  
A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

Nobody answered.  
"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"  
"Uh ... well ... y-yes" stuttered Faye as the Fat Friar looked steadily at her as if expecting an answer. When she spoke he gave a huge smile.  
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice causing Faye to breathe a sigh of relief "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."  
Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall giving a small wave to Faye and the others before they left. Grouping together Ron, Harry and Faye formed a line along with the rest of the first years when Professor McGonagall gave the order and then as one they all left the small room, through the hall and through a set of double doors which led to the Great Hall.

They had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. The first thing Faye noticed was Fred, George and Lee sat at what she guessed was the Gryffindor table, as the three boys looked up, mainly George, Faye felt suddenly embarrassed and looked away. Harry oblivious to this was staring at the fact that the tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.  
Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Faye buried her head into Harry's shoulder whilst Harry on the other hand looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione whisper "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."

Harry quickly looked down again and nudged Faye into looking as much as she didn't want to, she looked up though and saw Professor McGonagall silently placing a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty.  
Harry's first thoughts were 'Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let that in the house'. He glanced at Faye and saw wrinkling her nose as she was looking at it and Harry guessed that if Faye had a house, she'd rather not let it in either.  
"What on earth are we meant to do with that?" whispered Ron.  
"Bin it?" suggested Faye.  
"Pull a rabbit out?" remarked Harry.  
However, before the trio could go on, the hat twitched and a rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth just as the hat began to sing:

_"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,  
__But don't judge on what you see,  
__I'll eat myself if you can find  
__A smarter hat than me.  
__You can keep your bowlers black,  
__Your top hats sleek and tall,  
__For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
__And I can cap them all.  
__There's nothing hidden in your head  
__The Sorting Hat can't see,  
__So try me on and I will tell you  
__Where you ought to be.  
__You might belong in Gryffindor,  
__Where dwell the brave at heart,  
__Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set  
Gryffindors apart;  
__You might belong in  
Hufflepuff,  
__Where they are just and loyal,  
__Those patient  
Hufflepuffis are true And unafraid of toil;  
__Or yet in wise old  
Ravenclaw,  
__if you've a ready mind,  
__Where those of wit and learning,  
__Will always find their kind;  
__Or perhaps in  
Slytherin  
__You'll make your real friends,  
__Those cunning folk use any means  
__To achieve their ends.  
__So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
__And don't get in a flap!  
__You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
__For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

Everyone began to clap in the Hall, all impressed by the song it seemed and as the first years joined in the clapping Faye whispered to the boys;  
"Pulling a rabbit out? Really Harry!?"  
"Hey, at least it's better than what Fred told me, wrestling a troll!"  
"Who was the fool to believe him.."  
"Shh, McGonagall's about to speak."

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"  
A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause -  
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.  
The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.  
"Bones, Susan!"  
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.  
"Boot, Terry!"  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.  
" Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Faye could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling and for some reason, upon spotting George, her stomach began to get all fluttery.

"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin.

Perhaps it was Harry's imagination, after all he'd heard about Slytherin, but he thought they looked like an unpleasant lot. He hoped neither him nor Faye got put into that house. He was starting to feel definitely sick now. He remembered being picked for teams during gym at his old school. He had always been last to be chosen, not because he was no good, but because no one wanted his cousin Dudley to think they liked him.  
On the other hand Faye was fighting the urge to flee, she was starting to feel panic rising, her deepest worry being Harry would go into Gryffindor and she'd go into Slytherin, nobody would talk to her, she'd loose her brother and become a loner. She had always hated things being sorted like this, well not exactly like this, but you get the picture. People had always been arguing over who got her on their team because nobody wanted a self-harming idiot, nobody wanted a strange and freaky girl. What if that happened now, or worse, she was told that she couldn't go into any house because she wasn't magic enough! By the time she calmed down it was to hear Hermione being called up.

"Granger, Hermione!"  
Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.  
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat.  
Ron groaned and Faye couldn't help it, she snickered, he jabbed her in the side and she glared at him, to glance over instead at the Gryffindor table where she spotted George, he looked up and she was sure he was looking at her, feeling awkward she looked away. Now she was paying attention she noted that Harry looked rather green and worried, reaching out she grabbed his hand reassuringly, he looked at her and mouthed a quick thank you.

When Neville Longbottom was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter. Beside them Ron whispered that he'd probably do something like that too, without thinking the twins reached over and grabbed his hands, he looked at them and bit down on his lip in an attempt not to laugh. A few moments later, all three soured as Malfoy was called.  
He swaggered forward and the hat had barely touched his head, in fact Ron would later mention to Harry before they went to sleep that it hadn't touched his head, when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"  
Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.  
There weren't many people left now. "Moon" "Nott" "Parkinson" then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil" then "Perks, Sally-Anne" and then, at last - "Potter, Faye!"

As Faye's name was called she froze, Harry had to forcefully push her up to the stool. It didn't help that whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall. The only bit of comfort was Beauty coiled protectively around her neck.  
"Potter, did she say?"  
"The Faye Potter?"  
"Then isn't that her brother, Harry pushing her?"  
The last thing Faye got to see before the hat dropped over her eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at her and also the main focus of her attention, George's curious gaze. Next second she was looking at the black inside of the hat. She waited and then uttered a small scream when the hat spoke inside her head only to feel the familiar presence of Professor McGonagall reach out and steady her.

"Hmm," said a small voice in her ear once she'd calmed down "A remarkable mind. There's talent you know, and a lot of it, you like to be knowledgeable too, that will get you a long way. Oh but this urge to prove you're not useless and that you aren't weak, now that's interesting... but what's more so is that you can fit into any house you know, they'd all help you, but I guess, Slytherin or Gryffindor would be best for you ... just ... which one?"  
Faye gripped the edges of the stool and thought,_ Not Slytherin, not Slytherin, anywhere but where that twat faced pompous arrogant douche Malfoy was._  
"Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you so sure about that? They could help you, they're a very ambitious bunch you know... but ... I guess your loyalty and bravery out weight Slytherin and you are so much like your Mother was in her first year ... I guess it had better be the house of your parents ... so ... GRYFFINDOR!"  
Faye heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. Shakily she took off the hat and fell to the floor, Professor McGonagall was immediately there pulling her up and holding her close whilst Harry was sorted and eventually he was put into Gryffindor. Once sorted, he helped Faye over to the table, ignoring all the whispers they were receiving and gladly accepting the help of Fred, George and Lee who the moment they'd started walking over had bolted from the table to come lend a hand.

When they all managed to reach the table, and quite a few of the Gryffindors had moved about to create enough room for Harry, Faye, Fred and George seeing as Lea had sat by some of his other friends, Harry ended up being seated opposite the ghost in the ruff from earlier with Neville on his left and Faye on his right. George was sat by Faye and gave her a small hug, Fred who was sat opposite George, next to his brother Percy and Hermoine which he didn't seem too pleased about gave her hand a reassuring pat. They all zoned in, just as Ron was called up to be sorted.

He was pale green by now. Harry crossed his fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" Harry clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to him as Neville had moved up a bit, giving Ron a small smile whilst Faye just about managed a thumbs up to him. Everyone noted that Faye was quite pale looking and not to mention she was now slumped into Harry's side, just like she'd given up trying.

Harry trying his best to keep Faye attentive whispered for her to look at the High Table. When she did she saw that on the end nearest them sat Hagrid, who was giving them the thumbs up and a small discreet smile. Harry grinned back whilst Faye gave a small wave before she lost her attention to seeing the Head Master; Albus Dumbledore. She recognized him from the Chocolate Frog card that Harry'd gotten on the train. Nudging Harry she pointed to him and she had a feeling from the look on Harry's face he was thinking the same thing, Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts. Harry then spotted and pointed out Professor Quirell, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban.

"Oh" whispered Faye and Harry turned to look in the same direction as she. Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!  
"Thank you!" He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not. Faye let out a stream of giggles, Harry joined her in the end and had a small laugh.  
"Is he - a bit mad?" the pair asked Percy uncertainly when they finished laughing.  
"Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, anybody?"  
"Huh? W-WOW!" Faye's enthusiastic voice made Harry turn.

The previously empty dishes were now piled with food. It looked lavish and already so many were piling their plates up whilst a few muggle borns like Hermoine and those who'd lived without magic (i.e. Harry and Faye) were simply staring. For a lot of first year, they'd never seen so many thing on one table to eat and they could count at least a dozen things they liked, for example; Harry liked roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops whilst Faye was eyeing up the mashed potatoes, roasties, shepard's pie, sausages, peas, carrots and most of all the steak!

The Dursleys had never exactly starved Harry, but he'd never been allowed to eat as much as he liked. Dudley had always taken anything that Harry really wanted, even if It made him sick. Harry piled his plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious. Faye did the same.  
Having lived in Orphanages and been bounced from place to place for most of her life, she'd experience a similar life to Harry in a way and unfortunately she was much skinnier than Harry was. It was because of this that Harry added some more to her plate raising an eyebrow when she went to complain.

"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Harry and Faye cut up their steaks and he even glanced over at Beauty who had curled on top of Fred's head as she'd decided he was comfy. Every so often he'd give her a bit of food to swallow.  
"Fred you'll make Beauty fat!" cried Faye in shock as she caught sight of what the ghost was looking at, he grinned and she turned to the ghost muttering under her breath.  
"Can't you ... well ...?"  
I haven't eaten for nearly four hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."  
"Pleasure to meet you" said Faye at the exact same time as Ron blurted out  
"I know who you are! My brothers told me about you - you're Nearly Headless Nick!"  
"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy -" the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.  
"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"  
Faye noticed that Sir Nicholas looked extremely put off and immediately felt sorry for him and just as he began to demonstrate how he could be nearly headless, George covered her eyes and in a way she was glad her eyes were covered because she could hear Harry gagging and Ron grossing out. After a moment, George removed his hand and she sent him a wordless thanks before looking to Sir Nicholas who coughed and began speaking.

"So - new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable - he's the Slytherin ghost."  
Looking over at the Slytherin table many first years could see a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who, the trio were pleased to see, didn't look overly thrilled about it.  
"I tell you, Sir Nicholas, I'll try my best so long as you don't do that head thing again" Faye said cringing, Nick looked apologetically at her and nodded.

Soon desert appeared and there were blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding, among a hundred other things too!

As everyone began to help themselves to whichever pudding they most desired, in Ron's case a bit of everything, Harry's a tart and Faye's an apple pie with strawberries and some vanilla ice cream. People, mostly first years began talking of their families and Seamus turned to Faye as he began to explain about himself.  
"I'm an irish lad meself, half-and-half too; me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."  
"Wow, he must have loved her to have stayed then."  
"Oh definitely, they're bloody brilliant together! Even if Mom does have the advantage during arguments, see things zipping about the house, I usually stay out the way then!"  
The others laughed and Faye gave him an apologetic pat on the shoulder before turning to Neville who looked quite left out.  
"What about you, Neville?"  
"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," he began looking quite stunned to have been involved but at Faye's soft smile he carried on and the others tuned in to listen too "but the family thought I was all- Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me - he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned - but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced - all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here - they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."  
"Aw'r that's really sweet, if not a little odd but still sweet!"  
"What about you Faye, where've you been living?"  
"Oh, here and there. I'd rather not talk about it, it's not exactly been the best..."  
"S-sorry I didn't know!"  
"Don't fret about it."

Across the table Percy was being it seemed forced into a conversation with Hermione over the lessons, he didn't seem to have much chance at eating his pudding just yet...  
"I do hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration! You know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult-"  
"You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing - "  
Faye glanced at Harry and they shook their heads.

Harry, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again whilst Faye became the victim of Fred and George's teasing, she didn't seem too bothered though so Harry didn't fret and instead scanned the table taking in what the staff looked like. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.  
It happened very suddenly as the hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban and straight at Harry, a sharp pain burst into life in Harry's and Faye's scar which caused both to react in a most noticeable of ways.  
"Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head. Whilst Faye gasped and clutched desperately at her neck, immediately Beauty sprung off of Fred's head and across the table to her neck where she coiled herself protectively around the scar.

"What is it?" asked Percy.  
"N-nothing." Harry said and at the same time Faye said "I-I don't k-know!"

He glanced at Faye and began to uncoil Beauty so he could check her neck, she gave a watery smile and he stopped. Instead he pulled her into a tight hug.  
The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling Harry had gotten from the teacher's look - a feeling that he didn't like Harry at all. Harry was sure that Faye had gotten the exact same thing too but for some reason she seemed to have been affected worse than he did.  
"W-who's that t-teacher talking t-to P-professor Q-quirrell?" she stuttered to Percy whilst cringing and slipping her hand under Beauty to rub at her neck.  
"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to - everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."  
Faye watched Snape for a while, but Snape didn't look at them again and in a way, she guessed she should be thankful.

When everyone had finished their desserts and were feeling full and sleepy, Dumbledore stood up, causing everyone to go quiet as he announced:  
"Just a few more words, I have a few start-of-term notices to give you all. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."  
George nudged Faye and winked, her eyes widened in disbelief and she mouthed 'really?' to which he nodded and Fred mouthed 'oh yes!'. Shaking her head she turned to listen to the rest of what was being said.  
"-held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Faye turned to Percy. "H-he's not s-serious?" she muttered.  
"He must be but it odd because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere - the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."  
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore which cut all mutterings in the hall off completely and upon glancing towards the High Table Faye noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed. All of a sudden she remembered what Professor McGonagall had told her about Dumbledore being rather eccentric.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.  
"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, whilst Fred and George managed to persuade Faye, unfortunately not Harry, into singing the longer version with them, "and off we go!" And the school bellowed:

_"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,  
__Teach us something please,  
__Whether we be old and bald  
__Or young with scabby knees,  
__Our heads could do with filling  
__With some interesting stuff,  
__For now they're bare and full of air,  
__Dead flies and bits of fluff,  
__So teach us things worth knowing,  
__Bring back what we've forgot,  
__just do your best, we'll do the rest,  
__And learn until our brains all rot."_

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Fred, George and Faye were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest whilst the trio laughed quite a bit.  
"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

Reluctantly Faye said goodbye to Fred and George before following the rest of the first years who were trotting along after Percy out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase to Gryffindor tower. Harry's legs were like lead again, but only because he was so tired and full of food, that and he was supporting Faye's weight as she leaned against him. He was too sleepy to push her off or help her properly, and even too tired to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Harry was just wondering how much farther they had to go as he wasn't sure he could support Faye much longer when they came to a sudden halt.

There in midair above them were a bundle of walking sticks and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.  
"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves - show yourself"  
A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered and almost instantly Faye pushed herself off of Harry, remembering what Professor McGonagall had said about him. So when Percy threatened about the Bloody Baron, and Peeves revealed himself, mid-air, cross-legged holding a bundle of walking sticks, Faye glared at the little man.  
"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"  
He swooped suddenly at them and everyone except Faye ducked, instead she stood there unimpressed with her arms folded, imitating the way McGonagall had showed her.  
"DO you want me to physically grab you and cause you the most extreme pain I can muster Peeves? Because, believe me, I will mostly gladly do so!"  
He stopped and looked at her before bowing to Faye, sticking his tongue out at Percy and then dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. He went zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.  
Percy turned to her,  
"How on earth did you do that? The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects."  
"Well, he acts like a little child but he's a grown man, ghost, thing ... I just thought talking to him like a child but threatening him with a punishment fit for an annoying man might work ... plus I'm tired and he's too loud!"  
Percy chuckled and warned everyone else to stay away from Peeves and unless a teacher was around, he highly recommended they didn't try the same as Faye had.

"Ah, here we are." They had reached the end of a corridor where there hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.  
"Password?" she said.  
"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall, the entrance to Gryffindor. They all scrambled through and found they were in the common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs. Percy directed the boys and girls to their separate dorms and Faye quickly bade Harry goodnight, all too willing to shoot off to bed.

Upstairs in the girls dormitory Faye and the others had changed however, before Faye went to sleep she turned to Hermoine who was looking quite remorse, probably from missing her family.  
"Hey, I'm sorry for snapping earlier ..."  
"It's fine. Friends?" Hermoine held her hand out and much to her surprise, Faye suddenly excited at the thought of a real female friend pulled her into a tight hug.  
"Yeah, lets. I've never had a real friend before,well other than Beauty and I guess Ron, but I've never had a real female friend."  
Hermoine smiled and patted Faye's head before the two settled into their beds and fell into a deep sleep.

Over in the boys dorm, Harry must have eaten a bit too much, because he was having a very strange dream. He was stood in the Great Hall wearing Professor Quirrell's turban and it kept telling him he needed to be in Slytherin at once or Faye would die. Harry told the turban he didn't want to be in Slytherin and that Faye was fine, she was in front of him playing with a teddy bear but it got heavier all of a sudden and as he tried to pull it off it began to tighten really painfully. Suddenly Malfoy had his hand around Faye's throat and was laughing at him as he struggled to get to her and then Malfoy turned into Snape whose laugh became high and cold before turning into some faceless man, the man raised his free hand and there was a burst of green light. Harry woke, sweating and shaking.

In the other dormitory, Faye was having a bad dream as well. She dreamt that she was in a strange room, there was fire around the edges of it and a large mirror in the center. A man she couldn't make out was screaming in agony by the mirror and Voldemorts face was flying towards her but it was made out of ash, Harry jumped in front of her and it slammed through his chest before disappearing into nothing. When she leaned down to touch Harry he suddenly morphed to George and there was a look of betrayal and hurt in his eyes, she opened her mouth to talk and he burst into green flames. She shot upright crying, Beauty was coiled around her arm looking at her worriedly. Shaking Faye wiped her eyes and looked around, good nobody had been woken up by her bad dream, sighing she laid down onto her pillow and at the same time, Harry and Faye rolled over and fell asleep again, and when they woke the next day, neither remembered the dream at all.

* * *

**Hey Hey Hey! I hope you all liked it, I know it's probably quite a bit like the story and I do admit, I did copy from the actual book on some parts but the next chapter will be more unique and of my own creation, less from the actual story in there :D Please R&R guys! Taaraaar**


	3. The potions master

**Author's Note: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. I do however, own Faye, Beauty and this story-line adaptation. If you wish to share this story, then you should either ask, pm me or note that this story is by me.**

* * *

_**Chapter Three: The Potions Master.**_

The next day was unbearable in some aspects for both Harry and Faye, the main thing being the amount of attention they seemed just to draw to them by being ... well themselves really. First thing in the morning, the moment they had left their Dormitories, people everywhere had began to stare and whisper, they would stop and watch them, push each other out of the way for a good look, point the twins out to their friends and the very few who were brave enough would go up and try talking to them, only once was an autograph asked for and the boy never tried again due to having caught Faye's bad side. The thing that irritated both the twins most of all though was the fact they were unable to escape the attention at any point in time and the whispers weren't quiet enough for them not to hear, so seeing as the whispers seemed to affect Faye more, she busied herself with memorizing the different ways about the castle.

"There, look."  
"Where?"  
"Next to the tall kid with the red hair."  
"Wearing the glasses?"  
"Yeah, the girl with the snake!"  
"Did you see his face?"  
"Did you see her neck?"  
"Did you see their scars?"

You see, it was easy to get lost as the trio often found and had to double back on themselves. There was well over a hundred staircases, all of which were in a vast variety and not always the most helpful when they'd suddenly move or a vanishing step would appear, Neville was usually the victim in that case. The doors were also a problem as not all of them were actually doors and some were tricky on the way you needed to open them. Nothing seemed to stay in the same place either, there had been two doors so far that Faye had discovered moved about, people in the portraits often went off visiting their friends and the twins swore blind the suits of armor moved about, even if Ron never believed them.  
And not to be mean to the ghosts, but they weren't always the best of help as they'd give you quite the fright when trying to open a door and they come floating through, Ron had gone pale and almost fainted when this happened to him. Some were helpful like Nick, the Gryffindor ghost who was on very friendly terms with Faye and the Fat Friar was a good one too, he tended to help point you in the right direction.

Though, there was the worst ghost, well poltergeist really, to have come across your path, especially whenever you were late for something and that was Peeves. Oh and Peeves just loved, just loved to play prank on people and cause all sorts of havoc and mayhem, he'd drop wastepapers bins on you, pelt you with chalk, pull rugs out from under you or flop a tapestry onto you. Everyone agreed that Peeves was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase any day of the week and double that if you were late.  
However, there seemed to be one student that Peeves didn't exactly dislike or prank too much, that was Faye, after her first night they seemed to have formed a Love-Hate relationship but that didn't mean he wouldn't try to prank her. By now everybody, including the teachers would stop to watch if Peeves attempted to prank Faye as all quietness and nerves would be forgotten and she'd round on the little man in a wave of fury, there had been countless occasions of screaming and shouting from Faye, threats as well and even on some cases spells being flung from the tip of Faye's wand and into Peeves. The school favorite however was when Peeves had attempted to lift Beauty into the air, furious at his antics and the danger Beauty was in, Faye had waved her wand and he'd turned into a pink pompom. The teachers had awarded her 20 points for getting the insufferable Poltergeist out of the way.  
Faye was about the only person other than the bloody baron and Dumbledore that Peeves listened to.

Soon though, all the first years discovered someone who made Peeves look lovable and that was the hated by all; Argus Filch the school caretaker and maybe by worse his cat and by the way he acted, only love; Mrs. Norris.

It was on their very first morning trying to get to their classes, the trio ended up trying to force open a door, a door which just so happened to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds 3rd floor corridor, Filch refused to believe they were lost, he was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose, and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons when they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, who was passing.

Now it was public knowledge in the school that Filtch's damned cat Mrs. Norris was Faye's absolute worst enemy, the scrawny, dust-colored creature with bulging, lamp like eyes just like Filtch's patrolled the corridors alone and certainly had it out for Faye. For whenever she went past the cat, it scrammed her so most days she'd end up with bloody ankles and Filch refused to take responsibility for because his cat as he claimed was doing her job. For if you even dared to break a rule in front of Mrs. Norris, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone or so everyone said, though Faye had a feeling that Fred and George knew the school a lot better!

The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick, Faye actually had done this even if it meant loosing 10 points, it was straight after leaving the great hall one morning, teachers and everyone present, Faye was going to walk out and Mrs. Norris suddenly scrammed her ankles, Faye in a bad mood turned around and gave the cat a hefty boot sending her straight into Filtch's foot, he wasn't able to do much complaining as it was an unprovoked attack on Faye.

Another thing a lot of students hated were the pieces of homework they got from the lessons and the difficulties in the lessons. Harry had thought magic would be easy and as for Faye, well she'd never anticipated some parts of magic to be so utterly difficult. They had to do Astronomy on Wednesday nights from the Astronomy tower do they could learn the different stars, movements of the planets and all the rest. For the twins this seemed to be alright, not the worst but not the best.  
Then there was Herbology in the greenhouses three times a week with Professor Sprout who was a little bit dumpy and plump, in these lessons they learned about magical plants and how they could be used. It was in these lessons that Harry and Ron turned to Faye, Herbology had sounded interesting and she knew practically the whole book for the year off by heart and not to mention, was very good with the plants nearly always resulting in the awarding of points to Gryffindor. Neville however was easily the best in the class and often after lesson would have a good detailed conversation with Faye about various plants.  
Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Emetic the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up. Usually though, you would find Faye snoozing in this lesson and copying Ron and Harry's notes whilst later on Hermione would explain it all to her before bed.  
Faye's second favorite teacher in the school was Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher. A tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached the twins' names he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight. It had been noted by everyone present and then later, most of the school, that when he had fallen, Faye had rushed over to his desk and helped him back up before returning to sit by Neville.

Professor McGonagall was again different. Harry had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. However, Faye seemed to have no problem with Professor McGonagall, often helping Harry and Ron with their work. This was the only lesson where she geinuinly was better than everyone else, including Hermoine. Professor McGonagall had proven herself to be strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.  
"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."  
Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. Within the first five minutes of the lesson, Faye had mastered the spell and created a perfect needle, Professor McGonagall had awarded her 5 points, patted her head and gave her two hole boxes to change, in the end she ended up making a pin cushion for her collection whilst everyone else carried on. By the end of the lesson the only other person to have mastered the spell was Hermione Granger who had made her match go silver and pointy, not a true needle but better than everyone else's attempts. Professor McGonagall had even given Hermoine a rare smile.  
It was also after dinner or if she had the time, the lessons, that Faye would seek out the Professor just so she could talk with her about practically anything that was on her mind, the one night, she'd spent so long that the Professor had actually walked her back up to the common room so she couldn't get into trouble for being out after curfew.

Now there was also the lesson which everyone counted as a joke, Defense against the Dark Arts, taught by Professor Quirrel who was always upon always a stuttering mess. It was in these lessons also, that Faye found a deep mistrust of Quirrel which nearly everyone thought was due to the horrible smell of garlic which he allegedly kept in his turban to keep him safe at all times from an angry Romanian Vampire who he was frightened wanted revenge ... well ... that's what Fred and George said anyway!

* * *

By Friday, everyone had noticed an improvement in Faye who it seemed had gotten over most of her quietness and was quite happy to have a conversation with nearly anyone so long as Harry, Ron, Neville or Hermione was around of course, otherwise she could be quite shy. People had also noted that although she could leave Beauty just about anywhere the snake would always find her way back and if she happened to be off somewhere then there was a good chance something nasty and dead was going to end up in a Slytherin bed or maybe a bed of someone who had been nasty to Faye. Though, she was getting better at taking care of herself having already earned an after dinner detention one evening with Professor Sprout when she'd nearly hexed Malfoy for bad mouthing the Weasley family.

It was also an important day on Friday for Ron and Harry as the pair managed to locate their way to the Great Hall without being late or getting lost, which they had been doing nearly everyday after Monday when Faye announced she was going to go to breakfast with Hermione and sometimes hang out in the common room or at meal times with her. Ron, hadn't been very happy but a warning hiss from Beauty had caused him to keep quiet and not say anything he might have regretted later on in the day.

When the boys had arrived in the Great Hall they'd ended up sat by opposite Faye and Hermione, neither had really noticed as they'd began talking about the day. Faye tuned into their conversation as Hermione was talking to Percy and there wasn't much else to do.

"What have we got today?" Harry asked Ron as he poured sugar on his porridge.  
"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ron.  
"Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them - we'll be able to see if it's true." Faye's voice suddenly cut in, Ron jumped a little and a bit too much sugar went onto his porridge. Faye smiled and swapped her bowl for his before sitting down next to Harry.  
"Wish McGonagall favored us, " said Harry. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before.

Just then, the mail arrived. The twins had gotten used to this by now, but it had given them a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.  
Hedwig hadn't brought Harry anything so far. She sometimes flew in to nibble his ear and have a bit of toast off of Faye before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls. This morning, however, she fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Harry's plate. Harry tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:

_Dear Harry and Lil' Faye,_  
_I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three?_  
_I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig._  
_Hagrid_

Before Harry could do anything, Faye had borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled Yes, please, see you later on the back of the note, and sent Hedwig off again.  
It was lucky that they had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to so far, by the end of it, Faye had another person to add to list of hate: Professor Snape.

* * *

At the start-of-term banquet, Harry had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked him and Faye. By the end of the first Potions lesson, he knew he'd been wrong. Snape didn't dislike them - he hated them. The feeling had become mutual and Faye had made it known too.

Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was as Faye had stated 'like a bleeding ice box down here!' and the interior design was quite unnerving as there were objects pickling in jars which caused a few Gryffindor girls to feel sick, Faye included.  
Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at the twins' names.  
"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Faye and Harry Potter. Our new - celebrities." After that though, he said nothing more about them and continued the role call.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort meaning you could hear him.  
"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead. Faye however couldn't keep her mouth shut. She whispered to Harry "How does he know he isn't the dunderhead and his classes are actually smart?" her remark was caught by Snape.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"  
"Which one?" Faye asked. He pointed at her.  
_Powdered root of what to an infusion of what?_ was Harry's immediate thought and he glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air.  
"You get the Draught of Living Death, a very powerful sleeping potion, maybe you should try it, you might wake up happier … sir" Faye's voice was cocky and her expression matched, Snape scowled.  
"2 points from Gryffindor for your cockiness and attitude. Let's see if your brother is as smart shall we?"

"Let's try Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"  
At Harry's clueless look, Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat. Faye shook her head slightly as some Slytherin's began to laugh.  
"I don't know, sir."  
"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. Harry had looked through his books at the Dursleys', but did Snape seriously expect him to remember everything from in them!?  
As Snape was still glaring, Harry guessed that was a yes.  
"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"  
At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.  
"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

A few people laughed, Harry caught Seamus's eye, and Seamus winked. Snape, however, was not pleased.  
"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, a bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

When he turned away, Faye turned to Harry and Ron rolling her eyes mouthing that Snape was a dunderhead. Stifling their laughter quite well they began to copy the notes down, well, apart from Faye who just sat there making some notes of her own.

_Note to self:_

_1) Snape is a complete dunderhead and overly arrogant - also needs a good sleep and to wash his hair!_

_2) Snape hates me and Harry!_

_3) Potions is going to be a nightmare!_

_4) Get back at Malfoy and his dogs for laughing at Hermie ... stupid hobos!_

_5) Wear a thicker jumper when coming to Potion's as it's a bleeding ice box down here!_

_6) Avoid dungeons if can, too cold!_

_7) The dungeons need a serious redecorating, they're so creepy and depressive!_

_8) Wind Snape up by doing my potion perfectly so he can't have a go at me, it'll aggravate him more!_

_9) Aim to beat F+G's highest score for loosing points in his lesson, 34 between them!_

_10) Probably best not to sit by Hermione in Potions, she nearly took my head off in her eagerness to answer the questions!_

Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

Faye ran to him before Snape could and helped him to move out of the way of the mixture, once out of the way she pulled him into a gentle soft hug shushing him and stroking his back comfortingly whilst Snape stormed over.  
"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"  
Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.  
"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Faye, who had returned to her cauldron with Hermoine that was next to Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.

"You - Potter - why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."  
This was so unfair that Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ron kicked him behind their cauldron.  
"Don't push it," he muttered, "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty."  
Faye however, ignored him.

"Why didn't you remind him? Why did Harry have to do it? Too incompetent at your job! He's trying to make his potion the same as everyone else, you're not making one! Why aren't you supervising properly you douche!" Silence followed Faye's outburst, Snape whirled around, his face completely murderous as he looked at her with Beauty coiled around her neck having reared up and hissing.  
"You insolent child, you dare to speak to me like that!"  
"I dare because you're being unreasonable and unfair by favoring the Slytherins and not giving an ounce of help to a boy who needed it! Because of that, he's covered in god knows what potion he made and having to go to the Hospital Wing!"  
"Miss Potter I am warning you, you seem to have the same attitude as your father did, watch your mouth in **my** lessons you are already loosing points for your house!"  
"THEN ACT LIKE A TEACHER AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR STUDENTS!  
"TWENTY POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR! SPEAK IN THIS LESSON AGAIN AND IT WILL BE A HUNDRED AND A DETENTION!" Snape roared, Faye glared and stood in silence for the rest of the lesson.

An hour later, when they left their lesson, Harry was down because of loosing two points from Gryffindor in his first week, and also from wondering how he'd made Snape hate him, he hadn't done anything. On the upside though, he hadn't lost twenty-one points like Faye had, she'd been lucky not to get a detention too! At the time she hadn't been bothered, now she was worried she'd let down McGonagall and even though people congratulated her on the verbal assault to Snape, and she knew she could get the points back, she felt really rotten. Most people seemed shocked she'd even had a go at him which didn't help as they'd pester her to hear the story again and again.

"Cheer up," said Ron after he'd just managed to shoo away some random second year by the threat of Percy.  
"Snape's always taking points off Fred and George. Can I come and meet Hagrid with you?"  
"Course you can, and ... thanks Ron."  
After that, Faye began to cheer up a bit.

At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds to Hagrid's small wooden hut by the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door.  
When Harry knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "Back, Fang - back."  
Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open and so did the face of an enormous black boarhound who much like Hagrid wasn't nearly as frightening as he seemed.  
There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it. Harry thought it suited Hagrid, Ron wasn't too sure what to make of it and well Faye, she just loved how it looked.  
"Make yerselves at home" said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears. Once Fang had finished bothering Ron he immediately made best friends with Faye and slobbered all over her hand when she fussed him causing her to laugh. Even Beauty seemed to like him as she slithered down onto his back and nestled there quite happily.

"This is Ron" Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.  
"Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles. I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."  
Immediately Faye became interested, which everyone noticed.  
"Really? Fred and George try going into there? Are they like mad?"  
"Ye, terrible the bloomin' pair, why?"  
"Ju-just wondering was all." Faye began to stutter before deciding to go quiet with a deep blush beginning to blossom, in an attempt to hide this obvious fact, Faye reached to the table and picked up a rock cake.  
The rock cakes weren't exactly that good and quite nearly broke her teeth, Faye cringed and managed half of it before putting it down and politely saying she was full. Harry and Ron pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons with Faye occasionally putting her point across. She was also sat on the floor rubbing Fang's belly and giving the occasional chuckle as beauty who had coiled around the table leg.

Harry and Ron were delighted to hear Hagrid call Fitch "that old git." whilst Faye was dying to tell him what she did to his cat!  
"An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her - Fitch puts her up to it."  
Faye beamed happily when Hagrid burst out laughing like a mad man as she told him about having kicked Mrs. Norris and how Filtch had reacted. Harry shook his head smiling whilst Ron snickered like a little kid.

Then came the dreaded subject of Snape. Hagrid told Faye off a little for having snapped at him, warning her to be careful and saying, quite similar to Ron, on how he didn't really like any of the students and how he was always taking points off of people.

"But he seemed to really hate me."  
"Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?"  
"Cause he's a douche." came Faye's sulky reply which Hagrid ignored before changing the subject completely.

"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked him a lot - great with animals."  
Faye looked at Harry and then back at Hagrid, she couldn't help but wonder if Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose. While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Harry picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cozy. It was a cutting from the Daily Prophet:

_GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST_  
_Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown._  
_Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day._  
_"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokes goblin this afternoon._

Harry remembered Ron telling him on the train that someone had tried to rob Gringotts, but Ron hadn't mentioned the date.  
"Hagrid!" said Harry, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"  
"Hey, it's my birthday too Harry! I was there as well!"  
Faye snatched the cutting off of Harry and began to read.

Hagrid grunted and offered out another rock cake. He was definitely avoiding answering and disgruntled Harry leaned down and snatched the clipping off of Faye so he could read the story again. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied earlier that same day. Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, if you could call it emptying, taking out that grubby little package. Had that been what the thieves were looking for? Harry had a feeling that Faye was thinking the same, he didn't know how, just, twin's intuition?

As the trio walked back to the castle for dinner, Harry and Ron's pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse, Harry thought that none of the lessons he'd had so far had given him as much to think about as tea with Hagrid. Had Hagrid collected that package just in time? Where was it now? And did Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell Harry and Faye? Harry also had a feeling that the same thoughts were weighing down on Faye's mind too from the thinking face she had on even if she was skipping along side them and playing absently with Beauty's tail. Talking of Beauty, she didn't seem at all impressed about her current situation and looked at Harry with such pleading eyes he stifled a chuckle before pointing it out to Ron who seemed to find it funny as well.

**Aaaaand that's it my dear readers! :) I'm so sorry for having taken so long to update just I sort of lost my inspiration for a bit on both this story and my other Harry Potter one, if you want to have a look at that one it's Vampiric Book 1: Te Amo a GeorgexOC :) Anyway, I promise to update this more and for anyone who reads the other fanfic, I promise to update that too! Hope you enjoyed so please R&R guys :D Taartaaar**


	4. The midnight duel

**Author's Note: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. I do however, own Faye, Beauty and this story-line adaptation. If you wish to share this story, then you should either ask, pm me or note that this story is by me.**

* * *

_**Chapter Four: The Midnight Duel.**_

Faye was sat in the common room relaxing when she heard the joint groan from Harry and Ron, they'd gone over to the noticeboard to look at the note that had been pinned up there. She dreaded to find out what it was that had made them groan, so instead of going to find out, she continued to relax with the wet rags wrapped around her ankles from where Mrs. Norris had caught her earlier. Beauty hissed soothingly in her ears whilst she relaxed and so Faye stayed where she was, ignoring all the talking, well until she heard Ron come over.

"Flying lessons …"  
"Really? I can't wait!" Faye sat up excitedly looking at Ron whilst Beauty readjusted herself on top her head.  
"With the Slytherins." Harry finished Ron's sentence and Faye flopped back down.  
"Okay, I can wait. In fact, I'm more than happy to break my leg if it means I don't have to go."

Harry and Ron laughed, then another voice joined the laughing and Faye felt her heart melt. There was actually two voices joining the laughing, it was Fred and George as they walked past obviously having found her comment funny but it was George who had affected her. She cautiously watched George walk off before returning her gaze to Ron and Harry who seemed to have been oblivious thankfully and were also luckily oblivious to the light blush heating her cheeks.  
Zoning into their conversation, Faye began to pay attention.

"Typical," said Harry darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy."  
He had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else and Faye frowned knowing he wasn't too happy now.  
"You don't know that you'll make a fool of yourself," said Ron reasonably. "Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk."  
"Hey, I'll see if I can knock him over, if I'm able to fly." Faye said with a smile making the other two laugh and managing to cheer herself up a little bit in the process, that idea was really appealing.

Malfoy was always talking about flying and how first years couldn't get into the house Quidditch teams. Also, he told long boastful stories in which he always managed to barley avoid being caught by muggles and their helicopters which in Faye's opinion was absolute bull, she'd also told him this. However, he wasn't the only one, Ron told anyone who would listen about how he nearly hit a hang glider on Charlie's old broom once. Mind you saying that, it was believable for him... A lot of the children from wizarding backgrounds seemed to have had bundles of experience and amazing stories to tell. Faye and sometimes Harry would believe very little they told.  
It had been quite funny recently though, Dean Thomas who was in Harry and Ron's room with them had been speaking of Soccer one time and how although he'd never been on a broom he'd been good at being a goalie. Ron having asked about the game and finding out had began an argument on what was so exciting in a game with one ball and nobody could fly and they could only kick it. Harry had told Faye, he'd found Ron prodding the players on Dean's poster the one time trying to get them to move about. Both had found it really funny and Ron, well, he had not.

Neville it turned out had never been on a broomstick in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one. Privately, Harry felt she'd had good reason, because Neville managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet on the ground. Faye thought however, he should have been taught because now he had the chance of embarrassing himself in front of everyone. Reluctantly, Harry had to agree and even Ron did too.

Hermione was almost as nervous about flying as Neville was, if not more because she couldn't learn it from a book, saying that she was still determined to try. At breakfast on Thursday she bored them all stupid with flying tips she'd gotten out of a library book called Quidditch Through the Ages. Neville was hanging on to her every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later even if he was getting more scared by it, but everybody else however was very pleased when Hermione's lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the mail. Faye even getting so excited she damn near jumped out of her seat.

A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.  
"It's a Remembrall!" he explained excitedly to Faye. "Gran knows I forget things and this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red - oh..." His face fell as it suddenly glowed scarlet  
"You've forgotten something..." said Faye with a small smile.

Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Malfoy snatched the Remembrall out of his hand.  
Faye jumped to her feet, closely followed by Harry and Ron. The trio were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfay, but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.  
"What's going on?"  
"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor."  
Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table.  
"Just looking," he said as he gave Faye a dirty look and walked off back to the Slytherin table with his dogs behind him.

It was around three thirty that the flying lesson was meant to be happening, right inside the Quidditch stadium and none of the first years had been there yet, all of them were excited and Faye, being so excited she could hardly wait, ended up going to Fred and George when they were on their own to inquire about the stadium. This was the reason for her being late to lesson as she had asked at three and Fred had kept her talking from ten past to half past on the topic of George because his brother left for a detention.

Currently, Faye was legging it with all she had to the stadium and made it luckily in record time, managing to get from just outside the Great Hall to her lesson in ten minutes. Needless to say when she got there, her teacher, Madam Hooch a short, gray haired woman with piercing yellow eyes like a hawk was not too impressed and shooed her over to the spare broom by Neville before giving the class the instructions to place their hands above the broom and call the word 'up'.

It was Harry who got it first, closely followed by Faye, but they were some of the few that did succeed. Hermione's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's hadn't moved at all. Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell when you were afraid was the thought that the twins shared with a simple look to each other. Ron's was by far the funniest though, he kept yelling at his broom and eventually it did go up, straight into his hand with such a force he gave an almighty yelp and yanked his hand away revealing an extremely red hand. Gingerly, he called again and his broom, gently, this time rose to his hand. He shot an irate glance at Harry and then at Faye who was trying not to laugh.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Faye, Harry and Ron were delighted when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years. Faye ended up falling about laughing at the face he pulled.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle-"

Faye's hand flew to here mouth because Madam Hooch never finished her count down, she barley said the number two and Neville had flown up into the air through nerves, and was now no longer able to control the broom or come down. His broom was going higher and higher, it was nearly twenty feet at least and then ... THUD he'd slipped and fell sideways off the broom and slammed down into the floor with a sickening crunch. Faye screamed and ran to him before anyone moved, he was whimpering in pain and skidding onto her knees to stop by his side she gently began to help him to sit up.

Madam Hooch was there in an instant, assessing what damage had been done to the now pale as a sheet Neville. Looking to Faye she spoke softly as Neville it seemed was near to having a panic attack.  
"It's a broken wrist, I'll need to take him to the Hospital Wing."  
Faye nodded and began to coax Neville into standing up, when he was upright Madam Hooch took over and began to lead him to the Hospital Wing leaving strict instructions that nobody was to move unless they wanted to be out of Hogwarts quicker than they could say Quidditch.

Slowly Faye walked over to Harry a look of great upset on her face, by now everyone had noticed that Faye had developed a strong motherly attachment to Neville and was immediately there to assist when he needed it.  
Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.  
"Did you see his face, the great lump?"  
The other Slytherins joined in.  
"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.  
"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies, Parvati."  
Faye snapped at the hurt look that crossed Parvati's face, in a matter of seconds she'd crossed to Pansy and slapped her full force across the face.  
"Better than liking stupid pale faced, dick heads with no kind bone in their bodies Pratty Parkinson!"  
Before a fight could break out, Harry had pulled Faye away from Pansy. They glared hatefully at each other. It was no secret that Faye despised Pansy nearly as badly as she did Malfoy.

"Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."  
The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.  
"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.  
Malfoy smiled nastily.  
"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find - how about - up a tree?"  
"Give it here!" Faye yelled as she made a grab for him but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off.

He called something tauntingly out but Faye hadn't been listening, she'd already lost her temper and mounted her broom kicking off into the air. Down below she could hear Hermione saying something and then Harry shooting up into the air, pulling level beside her as they faced off with Malfoy who now seemed to be in a mix of shock, horror and a stunned daze. He snapped out of it when Harry shouted.

"Give it here,"  
"Or I'll take great pleasure in knocking you off that broom!" Faye all but near screamed, she could feel herself descending into a full blown rage at the evil minded twerp of a boy. He must have noted the look of worry crossing Harry's face when Faye had spoken.  
"Oh, yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried.

They knew, somehow, what to do. In unison they leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfay like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Harry made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady. Faye, not being quite quick enough to stop, did a roll on her broom and spun to face Malfoy. A few people below were clapping.

"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Harry called.  
"Even if they were, I'd send them to the place you're going Malfoy!" Faye was glaring hatefuly at him and he sneered.  
"Oh yeah, where then!"  
"Home, in a coffin unless you give me that REMEBRALL MALFOY!"  
"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground.

Harry saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. Faye leaned and grabbed his arm, they leaned forward and pointed the broom handles down - next second they was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball - wind whistled in their ears, mingled with the screams of people watching.  
Harry stretched out his hand - a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time for Faye to lean over and to pull his broom straight before he crashed. Instead Harry toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist.  
Faye's broom came to a gentle stop beside him, she sat with her feet brushing the ground.

"POTTERS!"  
Harry's heart sank faster than they'd just dived. Professor McGonagall was running toward them. Trembling, Harry got to his feet and Faye stood up away from the broomstick but she didn't seem to be paying attention.  
"Never - in all my time at Hogwarts -" Professor McGonagall was raging as she stormed over to them and the twins began to walk over to where they class was gathered. Faye registered people speaking and McGonagall stopping them, and then something about following but she was too mad to pay any attention.

Harry caught sight of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle's triumphant faces as he left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode toward the castle. Unfortunately Faye did too, she veered away from Harry and McGonagall and instead over to the three and before anyone could move she had already kicked Crabbe to the ground and punched Goyle so hard he staggered back before falling over. Pulling her fist back, she sent a mighty punch into Malfoy's gut before Professor McGonagall grabbed her by her ear and began to pull her along. They were going to be expelled, Harry just knew it.

Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and still Professor McGonagall didn't say a word to them. She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Harry trotting miserably behind her, whilst she still dragged Faye. Maybe she was taking them to Dumbledore. Harry thought of Hagrid, expelled but allowed to stay on as gamekeeper. Perhaps they could be Hagrid's assistants. His stomach twisted as he imagined it, watching Ron and the others becoming wizards, while they stumped around the grounds carrying Hagrid's bag. Faye would be miserable.

Thinking of Faye, he turned to look at her, she still looked murderous and didn't seem to be snapping out of it any time soon either, even if she was calming to walk by McGonagall instead of being dragged along. He gulped, she'd only been like this with his Uncle Vernon and now with Malfoy, the once was bad enough, it had scared him a lot and now she'd done it again. The only good thing was that those three Slytherin idiots seemed to have received a bit of punishment from her.

Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside.  
"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?"  
Wood? thought Harry, bewildered; was Wood a cane she was going to use on him? If it was a cane, he couldn't allow her to hit Faye with it. He couldn't, if anything she'd probably try to murder anyone at the present moment. He chanced a glance at Faye and saw she seemed quite a bit better.

But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwicles class looking confused.  
"Follow me, you two," said Professor McGonagall, she changed her grip to Faye's hand and only slightly dragged her along that way and as they walked Wood was looking curiously at Harry.  
"In here."  
Professor McGonagall pointed them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard.  
"Out, Peeves!" she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he swooped out cursing. Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the trio.

"Potters, this is Oliver Wood. Wood - I've found you a Seeker and a backup!"  
Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to delight.  
"Are you serious, Professor?"  
"Absolutely," said Professor McGonagall crisply. "The boy's a natural and the girl, though she was lacking in comparison. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potters?"  
Harry nodded silently. He didn't have a clue what was going on, but he didn't seem to be being expelled, and some of the feeling started coming back to his legs. Faye however seemed worse off, as if all the anger had dissipated and she stumbled backwards and Wood caught her before Harry could. She looked pale and scared, Harry took her off of Wood without saying anything.  
"He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive, she pulled his broom right at the last second" Professor McGonagall told Wood. "Didn't even scratch themselves. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it."

Wood looked like his dreams had come true, and he started talking animatedly with McGonagall about Harry and Faye but none of it seemed to sink in for Harry, it was all surreal and for Faye, well she felt sick and shaky and was pretty sure if she had to go back to lesson she'd faint at the sight of the brooms. It had been too much to handle and then she completely blanked out, she was conscious but nothing was sinking in. When they left, Harry managed to get her to understand they'd be training on the Quidditch teams.

"You're joking."  
It was dinnertime. Harry had just finished telling Ron what had happened when he'd left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Faye still didn't look too good and so was sat cuddled into Harry's side watching Ron who had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he'd forgotten all about it.  
"Seeker?" he said. "But first years never - you pair must be the youngest house players in …"  
"About a century" said Faye going green as she noticed Harry shoveling pie into his mouth. He felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon.  
"Wood told us."  
Ron was so amazed, so impressed, he just sat and gaped at them.  
"We start training next week," said Harry. "Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret."  
Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted the twins, and hurried over.  
"Well done," said George in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too - Beaters." He then sat down next to Faye and opened his arms for her to get a hug. Slowly she crawled over to him and accepted the hug.  
"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year," said Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."  
"Anyway, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school." Fred looked guiltily at Faye who gave a weak smile and gave him a small hug.  
"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you." George smiled and left giving a small wave.  
Fred and George had hardly walked off when someone far less welcome turned up: Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

Faye unsteadily got up when she saw them coming and giving an apologetic smile to the boys, she left the hall to go to bed. It wasn't a happy thought going through her head when she left and in the end Faye had only managed to get to half way to the seventh floor by the time Dinner was through and Harry and Ron appeared either side of her.

"Hey"  
"I'm doing a wizards duel tonight." Harry smiled softly at Faye, waiting for her reaction and praying to god she didn't know what it was.  
"Are you trying to get kicked out!?"  
"It was Malfoy's fault.." Began Ron, both he and Harry had paled then at the look of pure hatred Faye gave them.  
"Oh and that makes it better? IT MAKES IT WORSE!"  
"Fa-"  
"Shut up, I don't want to hear it. If you two get killed it's not my problem. Harry we should be thankful we haven't been expelled you dunce but you'll go anyway, there's no way you won't it's too like you to pass it up!"

With that said, Faye, in a bad mood, stormed off and reached the common room before them and went straight to bed without speaking to anyone.

* * *

A few embers were still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows when Harry and Ron came down in their bathrobes. They had almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them.  
"I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry."  
"Oh I can. It doesn't surprise me."

A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger, wearing a pink bathrobe and a frown. Next to her sat a rather tired and angry looking Faye, it seemed she must have been dragged down cause she was half asleep and both boys knew Faye wouldn't try and stop them even if she didn't approve.

"You!" said Ron furiously. "Go back to bed!"  
"I almost told your brother," Hermione snapped, "Percy - he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this."  
Harry couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering.  
"Come on," he said to Ron. He pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady and climbed through the hole.  
Hermione wasn't going to give up that easily. She followed Ron through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angry goose. Faye sleepily got up and followed, not looking all that impressed at her brother at two friends.

"Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves, I don't want Slytherin to win the house cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."  
"Go away."  
"All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so -"  
But what they were, they didn't find out. Hermione had turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady to get back inside and found herself facing an empty painting.  
"Now what am I going to do?" she asked shrilly.  
"Sit and wait?" was Faye's sleepy reply before she caught up to Harry and Ron, glaring at them but following none the less.  
"That's your problem," said Ron. "We've got to go, we're going to be late."

They hadn't even reached the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them.  
I'm coming with you," she said.  
"Hermione no way in hell are you!." Faye said looking at her like she'd gone insane.  
"Oh, so you want me to wait for Filch to catch me? I'll tell him either way and if he finds all four of us I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you, and you can back me up."  
"That's why we don't want you to come, Harry and me are in enough trouble as is!" Faye had practically growled through her teeth at her friend gaining an angry glare back.

"Shut up, both of you!" said Harry sharply. I heard snuffling."  
"Mrs. Norris?" breathed Ron, squinting through the dark.  
"If it is that cat is getting it!" Hissed Faye aggressively stalking forwards with an determined face.  
It was at the last second before she sent her foot flying forwards that Faye realized it was Neville who had been sleeping until her foot changed direction and slammed into the wall causing him to jerk awake. As he looked up at them, a look of pure relief spread his face and he stumbled into a sitting position.

"Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours, I couldn't remember the new password to get in to bed."  
"Shh, you'll get attention and it's 'Pig snout' but the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere."  
"How's your arm?" said Harry.  
"Fine Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute."  
"Good, well look not being rude Neville but there's somewhere we need to be"  
"Don't leave me!" Neville cried, scrambling to his feet, "I don't want to stay here alone, the Bloody Baron's been past twice already."  
Ron looked at his watch and then glared furiously at Hermione and Neville.  
"If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learned that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about, and used it on you.  
"Can we just go? I'm pissed off and tired." moaned Faye grabbing Harry's arm.

They reached the trophy room with ten minutes to go. Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet so everyone other than Harry and Ron busied themselves with looking at the contents of the cases. Harry took out his wand in case Malfoy leapt in and started at once. The minutes crept by.  
"He's late, maybe he's chickened out?" Ron whispered.  
"Doubt it Ron." Faye whispered giving a fed up look to the boys.

Faye froze and slowly so did the others as they heard speaking in the other room. It was Faye who realized first and her eyes widened open before turning to Harry with a desperate look on her face just as he heard the voice.  
"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."  
It was Filch speaking to Mrs. Norris. Harry waved madly at the other three to follow him as quickly as possible and they all scuttled silently toward the door and just in time. Neville's robes had barely whipped round the corner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room.  
"They're in here somewhere my sweet probably hiding."

"Damn!" whispered Faye  
"This way!" Harry mouthed to the others. In a petrified creep they began down a long gallery full of suits of armor. Filch was getting nearer. Neville let out a frightened squeak. He tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist, and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armor.

"RUN!" Harry and Faye yelled in unison, and the five of them sprinted down the gallery with Harry in the lead. None of them had any idea where they were going and Faye sped up grabbing a tapestry she thought Fred had told her about, ripping it aside she revealed a hidden passageway and forced the rest of them to sprint along it and thankfully they arrived in a Charms classroom.

"I think we've lost him," Harry panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping his forehead. Neville was bent double, wheezing and spluttering.  
"B-better h-have." spluttered Faye.  
I - told -you," Hermione gasped, clutching at the stitch in her chest, "I - told - you."  
"We've got to get back to Gryffindor tower," said Ron, "quickly as possible."  
"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Harry. "You realize that, don't you? He was never going to meet you -"  
"Oh shut up Hermoine!" Faye snapped irritably cutting her off. Hermoine did as she was told.  
"Let's go."

They hadn't even left the classroom when the doorknob rattled and ... of all the cursed luck in the world, Peeves shot in with an evil glint to his eye.  
"You dare you prat of a Poltergiest and I swear I'll do worse than make you a pompom!" hissed Faye an evil glint in her eyes butPeeves cackled.  
"Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."  
"Not if you know what's good for you Peeves" threatened Faye but he ignored her.  
"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know."  
"Get out of the way," snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves this was a big mistake.  
"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR"  
Ducking under Peeves all except Faye who waved her wand and turned him blue, they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door and sod's lore, it had to be locked.

"This is it!" Ron moaned, as he pushed helplessly at the door, "We're done for! This is the end!"  
They could hear footsteps, Filch running as fast as he could toward Peeves's shouts.  
"Oh, move over," Hermione snarled. She grabbed Harry's wand, tapped the lock, and whispered, 'Alohomora!"  
The lock clicked and the door swung open - they piled through it, shut it quickly, and pressed their ears against it, listening. All except Faye who stood wide eyed staring at the inside of the room barley registering the conversation Filtch and Peeves were having for she was too pre-occupied with the contents of the room for that.

"He thinks this door is locked," Harry whispered. "I think we'll be okay - get off, Neville!" For Neville had been tugging on the sleeve of Harry's bathrobe for the last minute. "What?"  
Harry turned around - and saw, quite clearly, what. For a moment, he was sure he'd walked into a nightmare - this was too much, on top of everything that had happened so far.

They weren't in a room, as everyone had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden. A monstrous dog filling all of the space with three angry heads were growling at the group with drool dripping off its teeth and creating a big pool on the floor. Faye stood right in front the one head, frozen in fear whilst Beauty who had been inside of her robe now hissed from her shoulder.  
It was standing quite still with all six eyes staring at them and it was obvious their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise but not too much so as there was only one thing those growls could mean.  
Harry groped for the doorknob - between Filch and death he guessed everyone would agreed to take Filch. Ron reached over and grabbed Faye, yanking her back sharply as the door opened and they fell out. The door was slammed shut and the group ran as fast as possible up to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

She looked shocked at the state of them and as the group began to repeat the password she swung open allowing them entrance, their urgency must have been noted and the state of what they must have looked like. Scrambling into the common room they all collapsed trembling to some degree into the armchairs. Faye however collapsed onto the floor, in front the fire and broke down, her body shook each time a tear fell. Harry got up quickly out of his chair and wordlessly sat by her. He pulled her into his lap, where she lay quivering.

None of them spoke for an age and Neville looked like he'd be quite happy to never speak again. Hermione however looked beyond angry and in fact was seething.  
"What do they think they're doing keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Ron finally. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does, did you see the size of it!"  
Hermione snapped her head to look at Ron and almost instantly began to bite his head off. "You don't use your eyes do you? Didn't you see what it was standing on!?"  
"The floor?" Harry suggested.  
"It had a lot of heads." whispered Neville before Hermione went off again.  
"No! Not the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor because it's obviously guarding something!"  
She stood up with a murderous look in her eyes and stepped forward.  
"I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed. Come on Faye, that means you too!" Faye however clutched onto Harry and began to wail very softly, he sent Hermoine a death glare. She stalked off in her anger and Faye began to worsen.

Ron stared after her, his mouth open.  
"No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you.  
But Hermione had given Harry something else to think about as he spent a good portion of the night calming Faye down mostly on his own. Neville had been too scared to go upstairs on his own so Ron had gone with him. Whilst they were up there, Harry had a feeling he knew where the package from the vault was, but what the hell was in it!?

* * *

**Done! Hope you guys liked it :) As always R&R and I hope you've had fun :) Taaraaar**


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